Gabon restores social media access after an eight-month ban

Gabon's media regulator says access to social media has been restored after an eight-month suspension that sparked widespread criticism. The High Communication Authority pulled the plug on social media networks on the 17th of February, blaming content posted online for stoking conflict and division in society. The crackdown came as Gabonese President Brice Oliguengema faced a wave of social unrest less than a year after his election. Facebook and TikTok, the most used platforms in the country, as well as YouTube and Instagram were shut down, while WhatsApp worked intermittently. Some people still managed to access social media networks via a virtual private network or VPN, a secure encrypted tunnel that hides your IP address and protects your internet traffic. The HAC says the suspension was aimed at allowing the government to adapt its legal framework to better regulate social media. Users are now required to provide formal identification effectively ending online anonymity. Gabon's opposition has slammed the social media ban as an abuse of power, and it faced a string of legal challenges that were all rejected.